Central buffer-coupling.



K. K iNZI. CENTRAL BUFFER COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26, 1913. 1 1 24 932. Patented Jan. 5, 1915'.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

We'zeewmem K. KUNZI.

CENTRAL BUFHER COUPLING.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 26, 1913.

1,124,032, Patented Jan. 5,1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

K. KUNZI.

CENTRAL BUFFER COUPLING.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV.26,1913- 1,1 24,032, Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 W W M C 1m: rJoRrv/s FATLRS co.. vvumxrwnv m c ill STATES @FFTQ.

KARL Klj'NZI, OF SCI-IAFFHAUSEN, SWITZERLAND, ASSIG-NOR TO AKTIENGESELLSGHAFT DER EISEN- & STAHLWERKE VOBIVL GEORG- FISCHER, OF SCHAFFI-IAUSEN, SWITZER- LAND.

CENTRAL BUFFER-COUPLING.

Application filed November 26, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KARL KiiNzI, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Schafihausen, Switzerland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Central Buffer-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in a device for supporting central butler couplings of vehicles.

According to the present invention the connection between the vehicle and the coupling is effected by means of two supports crossing one another in a horizontal plane, one end of said supports being pivotally attached to the vehicle and the opposite end to the coupler head.

Several convenient modes of carrying the invention into eiiect are shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows the end-parts of two vehicles, to each of which there are pivotally connected two supports crossing one another in a horizontal plane, the other ends of said supports being pivotally attached to a coupling; Fig. 2 shows a diagrammatic View of two vehicles meeting in a curve, the vehicles being shown in the position, in which the coupling-parts are just beginning to touch one another; Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2, the couplings being brought owing to the continually decreasing distance between the two vehicles, into a position, in which they are parallel one to another; Fig. l shows one of the crossing supports pivotally connected with a bolt,

' which is guided in the vehicle and resili ently supported by a spring, Fig. 5 shows the arrangement of Fig. & in connection with a draw-bar pivotally attached at one end to the support and at its other end to a disk slidably mounted on the spring bolt; Fig. 6 shows a crossing support consisting of a round shaft pivotally connected to the vehicle and surrounded by a tube which is supported by a spring; Fig. 7 shows the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

Serial No. 803,159.

crossing supports in connection with guiderods, which are pivotally attached to a support of the vehicle and Fig. 8 shows a coupling and crossing support pivotally connected to the latter, the other ends of said supports being pivotally attached to a frame capable of being moved in the longitudinal direction or" the vehicle. Fig. 9 shows a modification of the coupling and cross supports illustrated in Fig. 8.

One end of the supports 2 and 3 crossing one another in a horizontal plane is pivotally attached to the vehicles 1, (Fig. 1). The other ends of said supports project an equal distance beyond the t'ronf end of the vehicles. and are pivotally attached to the couplings a. The couplings illustrated in Fig. 1 have a coupling member 6 projecting beyond the impact face 5 and a leading in funnel 7. The couplings operate automatically; the parts used for effecting the automatic coupling are, however, not shown in the drawings.

Fig. 2 shows in a diagrammatic manner two vehicles 8 and 9 meeting in a curve. In order. to simplify the drawings, the couplings 10 and 11 are indicated in this Fig. 2 only by a transverse line. To these couplings 10 and 11 are pivotally attached the supports 12, 13, 1a and 15 crossing one another. The other ends of these supports form a flexible connection with the vehicles. As shown in the drawing, the parts of the two couplings directed toward the center of the curve first come in contact with each other and since the inwardly directed supports 13 and 14 form a broken line, the angle inclosed by these two supports decreases continually while the two vehicles are moved one toward another; finally the two impact faces of the two couplings touch one another along their whole length. The couplings pressed now against each other form a rigid system, which is prevented from deviating laterally in any direction. This is clearly shown in Fig. 3, in which the two adjacent couplings l0 and 11 are marked by a single line X.

According to the arrangement shown in Fig. 4 the support 3 is pivotally connected to a bolt 16. This is capable of sliding in a guide 17 fixed to a longitudinal support 18 of the vehicle. For the support 3 there is provided in the guide 17 a slot 19. The rear end of the bolt 16 has a smaller diameter than its front end. On the smaller end of this bolt 16 are slidably mounted two disks 20 and 21, whose bore corresponds to the smaller diameter of the bolt 16. Between these two disks there is arranged the helical spring 22 surrounding the smaller end of the bolt 16. This spring presses the disks 20 and 21 against the ends of a recess 23 provided in the guide 17. The annular offset of the bolt 16 is pressed by the action of the spring against the disk 21. Behind the disk 20 there is provided on said bolt 16 a collar 24 adapted to pass through the rear end of the guide 17. Owing to this arrangement the bolt 16 is kept by the tension of the spring 22 in its normal position. When a pulling force acts upon the support 3, the disk 20 is moved toward the disk 21 the collar 24 acting as an abutment for the disk 20 and the spring 22 is compressed. On the other hand, if a compressive force acts upon the support 3, the disk 21 is moved toward the disk 20, the smaller end of the bolt 16 and the collar 24 sliding through the rear end of the guide 17 which end now acts as an abutment for the disk 20, so that the spring 22 is again compressed.

The reference letters shown in Fig. 5 corresponding to those of Fig. 4 denote the same parts. A tension-rod 26 is pivotally connected at 25 to the support 3. The opposite end of this rod 26 has a slot 27, engaged by a radial, cylindrical projection 28 of the disk 20. In the normal position of the support 3 the projection 28 of the disk 20 engages the rear part of the slot 27. When the support 3 is moved into the position 3 shown in point and dash lines, the disk 20 is moved toward the disk 21 and the spring 22 is compressed. The spring 22 has therefore the tendency to keep the support 3 in its normal position. The slot 27 permits a rearward movement of the tension-rod 26, so that the latter does not prevent a rearward movement of the bolt 16 and the support 3.

The support shown in Fig. 6 consists of a cylindrical rod 29 acting as a guide for a tube 30. The rod 29 is pivotally attached to the bearing 31 fixed to the vehicle, while the other not shown end of said tube 30 is flexibly connected to the coupling, it being assumed that this not shown end of the tube is accordingly constructed. The tube 30 is surrounded by a helical spring 32. The ends of this spring bear against the disks 33 and 34, guided by the tube 30 and held in the desired position by means of cross-pieces 35 and 36 passing through the tube 30 and the shaft 29. The slots 37 and 38 provided in the shaft 29 for the admission of the cross-pieces 35 and 36 have a greater length than that corresponding to the width of the pieces 35 and 36, so that the distance between these slots is smaller than that between the crosspieces 35 and 36. In this arrangement the cross-piece 36 and the disk 34 are capable of being moved toward their corresponding, opposite pieces 33 and 35 as soon as a compressive force acts upon the tube 30, while the parts 33 and 35 are moved toward the parts 34 and 36 when a pulling force acts upon the tube 30.

Each support 3 shown in Fig. 7 is pivotally connected to a guide or connecting-rod 39, which is pivotally connected at 41 to the support 40. The latter may be fixed to the vehicle and it has a bore 42. The middle aXis of this bore lies in a horizontal plane and it crosses the longitudinal axis of the vehicle at a right angle. At each end of the bore 42 there is inserted a tube 43 closed at its outer end, which tubes receive the ends of a helical spring 44. Suitable stops 45 provided on the support 40 limit the outward movement or path of the tubes 43 and they secure the latter in proper position. Each pivot 41 of the support 40 carries besides the connecting-rod 39 a lever 46 which has a rounded off end resting upon the closed end of a tube 43; and with a nose 46, which leans against a connecting-rod 39 arranged at right angle to the lever 46. Each support 3 is the hypotenuse of a triangle formed by the connecting-rod 39, lever 46 and support 3 and it comes to rest, as shown, on the rounded off end of the lever 46. The construction shown in this Fig. 7 works as follows: When a support 3 is acted upon by a compressive force, its connecting-rod 39 is moved backward and the support 3 presses the rounded off end of the lever 46 inward, so that the spring 44 is compressed. The lever 46 is also pressed inward, when the support 3 is laterally deflected. A pulling force acting upon a support 3 causes an inward movement of its connecting-rod 39 and the lever 46 is moved inward, so that the spring 44 is again compressed.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 8 has a frame 47 fixed to the vehicle. This frame acts as a guide for a rod 48 arranged in the traction axis of the vehicle. The rear end of the rod 48 has a smaller diameter and onto this end of the rod are pushed two disks 49 and 50, which are guided by this part of the rod 48. Between the disks 49 and 50 there is arranged the helical spring 51. This presses the disks 49 and 50 against the ends of a recess 52 provided in the frame 47. The annular offset of the rod 48 is pressed against the disk 50. The disk 49 forms at the same time a sleeve 49, which is guided in the frame 47 and which projects a certain amount beyond the rear end of this frame 47. The rod 48 carries behind this sleeve 49 the rear cross-bar of a frame 53 loosely pushed over this rod. The front cross-bar of the frame 53 is guided on the thicker end of the rod 48. A nut 54screwed onto the rear end of the rod 48 provided with a thread secures the frame 53 in its proper position relatively to the sleeve 49 and the spring 51. When the frame 53 is moved outward, it moves the disk 49 toward the disk 50, so that the spring 51 is compressed; if, on the other hand, the frame 58 is moved inward, the rod 48 is also moved in this direction and the disk 50 is approached to the disk 49, so that the spring 51 is again compressed. One end of the supports 2 and 3 crossing one another in a horizontal plane is pivotally attached to the frame 53, while their other ends are flexibly connected to the coupling 4. The construction shown in Fig. 8 may also be arranged in such a manner, that the resilient support is also acted upon by the lateral deflections of the rod-like supports. In this case there are provided on the inner side of the supports 2 and 8 projections 55. Such a construction is shown in Fig. 9. These overlapping projections rest against the front end of the rod 48, so that one of said projections presses upon the rod 48 as soon as the supports are laterally deflected, the spring 51 being then acted upon. It is evident, that there could also be provided a lateral resilient support for the supports 2 and 3 entirely independent from the rear resilient support. The coupling at may be replaced by any other suitable coupling.

What I claim is:

1. In a device for supporting a central buffer coupling of a vehicle, two supports crossing one another in a horizontal plane, one end of these supports being pivotally attached to the coupling and the opposite end to the vehicle.

2. In a device for supporting a central buffer coupling of a vehicle, two rod-like supports crossing one another in a horizontal plane, one end of these supports being pivotally attached to the coupling and the opposite end to the vehicle.

3. In a device for supporting a central buffer coupling of a vehicle, two supports crossing one another in a horizontal plane, one end of these supports being pivotally attached to the coupling and the opposite end to the vehicle and resilient means supporting said supports in the direction of the compressive and pulling forces.

4;. In a device for supporting a central buffer coupling of a vehicle, two supports crossing one another in a horizontal plane, one end of these supports being pivotally attached to the coupling and the opposite end to the vehicle, resilient means supporting said supports in the direction of the compressive and pulling forces and means connected to said supports acting upon the resilient supporting means when the supports are deflected laterally.

5. In a device for supporting a central buffer coupling of a vehicle, two rods crossing one another in a horizontal plane and pivotally attached at one end of the coupling, a frame attached to the vehicle, a rod mounted in said frame, a second frame slidably arranged on said rod and pivotally connected with the other ends of said supports, means on said rod for compressing a spring when the frame connected with the supports is moved forward or backward and a projection on the inner side of each of said supports pressing against said rod when the supports are deflected laterally.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

KARL KUNZI.

Witnesses FRANK BoHR, A. LEHNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C." 

